Our History
Who we are at
Hopper Dispatch
Moving more than freight - building trust, honoring legacy, and delivering with purpose.
Proverbs 3:5-6
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; in all your ways know Him, and He will make your paths straight."
Rooted in Faith, Driven by Legacy. Built to Serve.
From a humble peanut buying yard in the 1940s to a thriving dry bulk transportation company today, Hopper Dispatch is the product of four generations of grit, grace, and growth. Our story is one of resilience, family values, and faith - and we are just getting started!
Our Roots
(1940s-1960s)
Our story began in the 1940s with Josh’s great-grandfather, Howard Q. Kennedy Sr., who started as a peanut farmer in Parrott, Georgia. As the years went on, he bought trucks to haul his own peanuts to market. The company began to grow, and he brought his son, Howard Q. Kennedy Jr., on to learn the business.
Unfortunately, tragedy struck in 1969 when Howard Sr. passed away, along with his daughter, Patsy Kennedy Speer. After losing his father and sister, Howard Jr. took over the business and began to grow it even more.
Expansion, Setbacks & Grace
(1970s - 1990s)
By the 1970s, Howard Jr. began selling and trading commodities in addition to running the trucking business. But in the 1980s, he fell ill and was forced to sell off the trucks. By the grace of God, Howard pulled through and worked his way back by joining GrainMart in Alabaster, Alabama. In 1999, Hansen-Mueller bought out GrainMart, and Howard continued working there until he started his own company, K&K Sales, in Helena, Alabama.
A Family
Legacy Continues
(1995-2008)
Howard Jr.’s daughter, Melissa Kennedy Fuller, moved her family to Helena in 1995 and started working for her father in 2001. Together, they built the trucking company up to include multiple trucks and continued selling and trading commodities.
In May 2004, they moved to Thomasville. Sadly, Howard Jr. passed away in July 2004. Melissa continued to run K&K Sales, but by 2008, a series of unfortunate events caused the business to collapse. But God still had a plan for Melissa to continue in the agricultural trucking industry.
A New Chapter
(2009-2018)
In 2009, Melissa began working under Pt Brokers. By 2011, Hopper Dispatch, Inc. was officially formed in Jacksonville Beach, Florida, where Melissa worked hard to rebuild everything she had lost. In the spring of 2013, Josh moved to Florida to join the family company. Through hard work and God’s unwavering grace, they rebuilt Hopper Dispatch to be bigger than ever. In 2018, both Melissa and Josh decided to move back to the country, relocating the company to Lake City, Florida.
Loss and Resilience
(2021)
As the company thrived in Lake City, life finally seemed back on track. In August 2021, Melissa took a trip to Alaska, where she unfortunately caught COVID. She went into a medically induced coma for nearly a month and passed away on September 3, 2021.
At that time, the office staff was reduced to just three people, but the company still had a fleet of drivers who depended on them.
God's Plan, Our Path Forward
(2022-Present)
Through prayer and hard work, Hopper Dispatch once again rose from the ashes. Josh became the sole owner, fully committed to growth and to honoring Melissa’s legacy. In 2023, he fully submitted to the Lord, and today the company is dedicated to sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with all who will listen.
Proverbs 3:5-6 has become a cornerstone of our company values.
We now serve with over 55 drivers, moving dry bulk commodities throughout the entire Southeastern United States.
We can’t wait to see what God has in store for the future of Hopper Dispatch.
Your trusted partner in safe, dependable, and on-time dry bulk transport. We're here to keep your loads moving and your business running smoothly.
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